


Marrying For Love

by DracoWillHearAboutThis



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, Episode: s04e11 The Hunter's Heart, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Protective Arthur, Royal Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22615591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoWillHearAboutThis/pseuds/DracoWillHearAboutThis
Summary: Merlin gets hurt on a hunt, making Arthur contemplate who he really wants to spend the rest of his life with.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 76
Kudos: 959
Collections: merlin fics i read and haven't been the same since





	Marrying For Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my dear readers! This is a little, self-indulgent something I have been working on for the past two weeks! I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!!

Merlin got hurt during a hunting trip they took in the presence of Princess Mithian.

There wasn't supposed to be any danger. Knights had scouted the area beforehand and it had been completely safe. They had also stayed close to Camelot, taking all necessary precautions to keep the foreign Princess from all harm.

But somehow, a small group of bandits must have still slipped into the area. Arthur thought they'd just been travelling through, but upon stumbling across a group of Camelots finest knights, they had seen no choice but to attack in order to allow them a swift escape. 

Most of their arrows had been aimed at Arthur, but they had all miraculously missed their target. Only one had hit, and Arthur had watched in horror as Merlin had sunk to the ground, an arrow protruding from his stomach. 

He didn't remember dismounting his mare but suddenly, he was at Merlin's side, gathering him against his chest.

"No," he muttered, touching Merlin's face and watching his manservant's eyelids flutter. "No! Merlin!"

Merlin only made a small, pained noise, and it tore at Arthur in places he didn't know he possessed.

Mithian was by his side, eyes wide and earnest as she reached out for Merlin with a large tissue in hand. "Here," she said. "Let me -"

But Arthur jerked away, looking at her with a wild expression. "Don't touch him!" he hissed. 

Mithian stared at him with apparent hurt. Merlin grunted and opened his eyes. 

"Arthur -" he breathed. 

"It's okay," Arthur soothed, immediately turning to him. "We'll get you back to Camelot. Gaius will fix you up. You're going to be fine!"

And that's what they did. Merlin was unconscious by the time they arrived, but Gwaine and Percival had ridden ahead and notified Gaius, who was waiting for them at the steps of the Citadel. 

While he fussed over Merlin, Arthur refused to leave the room. A cold fist had clenched around his heart, squeezing down and  _ down _ , and he was not going to feel better until Merlin opened his eyes again, he knew it.

At last, Gaius turned to him. He looked tired but confident and he nodded at Arthur once, who sagged in relief. 

He then took a seat next to Merlin's cot and refused to leave his side. His heart was still pounding from the shock and everything hurt as he took in his too-still figure, his mind reeling with how close he'd come to losing him, too.

After a while, the door to Gaius office opened and Mithian entered, her features soft and timid as she lingered near the entranceway. 

"How is he?" she asked quietly. 

"He'll pull through," Arthur muttered, his voice rough.

Mithian nodded, and when Arthur didn't say anymore, she hesitantly crossed the room to sit with him. He knew it was meant as a kind gesture. Mithian was a good person. But right now, he didn't really want any of it.

"I can tell that he means a lot to you," she spoke up, at last. "He's not a simple servant, is he?"

Arthur shook his head. His trembling fingers reached out to fold around Merlin's still hand.

"He's my friend," Arthur replied when he could bring himself to speak. "My best friend. He's always been loyal to me." He took a shaky breath, then added, very quietly: "I've lost so many people lately. I can't bear to lose  _ him _ ."

"Of course," Mithian said, very gently. "I heard about your father and your sister."

Arthur nodded. She hadn't heard about Guinevere, he'd made sure of that, but it hardly mattered. He didn't expect her to understand that, through all of it, Merlin had been his rock, and if he lost him, he didn't think he could get up again.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," she whispered, putting a tender hand on his elbow. "It must have been tough." 

Arthur flinched away from the touch. He didn't want it. Suddenly, it all felt like too big of a fraught. Merlin's voice was echoing through his head, reminding him that he was going to marry for love, and he grit his teeth. 

"Please," he forced out, "can you leave me alone?"

Mithian seemed lost and helpless in the face of yet another rejection, but she relented, much to Arthur's relief. He heaved a deep breath when the door fell shut behind her, squeezing Merlin's hand for reassurance. Merlin remained unresponsive. 

Arthur didn't know how long he was granted the relative privacy of being the only person at Merlin's bedside, but after a while, the door opened again. He expected it to be Gaius, ready to throw him out with a few stern words, but it was Gwaine, now out of his armour but still wearing a worried expression as he gazed down upon Merlin. 

"How is he?" he asked.

"He'll pull through," Arthur repeated. Gwaine nodded, then he fixed him with an enquiring gaze.

"What about you?" he continued. 

"What?" Arthur asked blankly. 

"Are you alright?" Gwaine clarified. "Because let's be honest, you lost your head earlier, and you don't tend to do that in the face of danger. I know things have been rough lately, but… really, are you okay?"

Arthur blinked, staring down at Merlin's unmoving face, feeling hollow and at the brink of something. 

"I don't know," he answered, opting for honesty. 

Gwaine sighed. "You know," he said, "I think the whole marriage thing is a stupid idea. Sure, the Princess seems kind and she's very beautiful but your heart is clearly not in it. And with everything that happened, the last thing you should do is rush into anything that might make you even unhappier."

Arthur gulped. His fingers tightened around Merlin's to the point where it must have been painful had he been awake. 

"Merlin said something similar," Arthur breathed. "He wanted me to marry for love."

"Merlin is a wise man," Gwaine grinned, rather fondly. "Somewhere underneath those neckerchiefs."

"The thing is," Arthur continued, eyes still on Merlin, "I don't think I can ever trust Guinevere again."

"That's okay," Gwaine ensured him. "You'll find love again, I'm sure."

"With everything that has happened," Arthur pressed on, "I think what I want out of a spouse has changed. I need someone I can trust without the trace of a doubt. I need to feel safe and comfortable with them. I need to be able to talk to them about everything, and for them to not be afraid to tell me things I don't want to hear in return."

Gwaine was silent for a long moment. Then, he said, quite hesitantly: "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Arthur shrugged. "I've been having these thoughts for a while," he confessed. "Ever since Guinevere left, but I kept pushing them away…"

He didn't think he could anymore, though. Not after today. 

Gwaine remained quiet for a long minute. Then, he replied: "You know he would give you all of this and remain your friend throughout it. You wouldn't need to marry him. He'd still be perfectly happy to support you the way he always has."

"I know," Arthur agreed. "But I don't think that's enough for  _ me  _ anymore."

Gwaine hummed, relapsing into that thoughtful silence of his, so uncharacteristic for the charmer he usually was. "Well," he said, at last, "if that's what you want, I say go for it. Whatever makes you happy." Then, he flashed Arthur his signature grin, and at least  _ that  _ felt familiar. "The court will have a fit, you know that? They had trouble with Gwen as a peasant, but Merlin is a man! What about succession?"

"I'll take care of that when the time comes," Arthur rolled his eyes. "It's not important now. I can always announce someone as my heir."

"If you're fine with that," Gwaine shrugged. "Hell, I support you. God knows you can't choose better than  _ Merlin.  _ No one will ever love you more fiercely. You know it and I know it." 

Arthur sent Gwaine a soft smile at that, squeezing Merlin's hand. "Yes," he nodded. "But first, he has to agree."

Merlin woke hours later when the castle had mostly fallen into a sleepy silence and Gaius had retired to Merlin's room for the night, agreeing to give them some space. He had tried to make Arthur return to his own quarters before he left, but Arthur had stubbornly refused, remaining at Merlin's side.

Therefore, Arthur was there to witness the exact moment Merlin's eyes first fluttered open. His own breath stuttered for a moment as Merlin blinked up at the ceiling, frowning to himself, and then, he grunted and both hands tried to go for his stomach, which had been bandaged up by Gaius. Arthur was still holding his right hand in his, though, so only one arm moved to his command, which made Merlin's frown deepen in confusion. 

"It's alright," Arthur said softly, squeezing his hand. "You're okay. You're at Gaius'." 

More blinking and then Merlin turned his face towards Arthur's voice, deep blue eyes settling on his. "Arthur," he breathed. "What -"

"We were attacked by bandits," Arthur hastened to explain. "You were hit by an arrow in the stomach. So don't move just yet, you might need a couple more days of bed rest."

"Oh," Merlin muttered, processing this. Then, a slow smile spread over his face, and the relief he felt at seeing that expression on Merlin's face was palpable. "So, you're giving me the day off?"

"You'll get as many days as you want, dollophead," Arthur snorted, his voice way too fond. 

"Don't promise me that," Merlin smirked. "I'll become greedy." Then he added, indignantly: "Also, my word!"

Arthur chuckled, shaking his hand. He squeezed Merlin's hand again and Merlin's eyes went to where they were joined for a moment, sobering a little. 

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said.

"You should be," Arthur sighed. It was on the tip of his tongue to make light of the situation, to tell him that carrying a servant back to Camelot was not on his list of Kingly Duties, but the words died on his throat as he met Merlin's eyes once more. Instead, other words threatened to spill from his mouth, the ones he had earlier confessed to Gwaine, though he knew very well that this was not the time and place. 

"Arthur?" Merlin whispered, and Arthur gulped. "What's wrong?"

He gulped, cursing that Merlin could read him like this. All these years of trying to hide his emotions behind a mask of indifference and then Merlin came along and tore it all down. 

"Arthur," Merlin repeated, more insistent now. "Tell me what's wrong."

Arthur was trapped by those familiar blue eyes and he knew there was no escape. He had to tell Merlin at least a modicum of the truth. 

"It's just…" Arthur took a shaky breath, gnawing at his lip - his father would have scolded him; "A habit unbecoming of a prince!" - before continuing, "Coming this close to losing you made me realise something. Or rather, I'd been thinking about it for a while and now…" He tried to find the words to express it, while simultaneously not making it sound like a decision merely induced by Merlin's injury. 

Merlin was observing him closely, as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle, and then, his confusion cleared and he smiled gently. "You're talking about Gwen," he said. 

"What?" Arthur asked, stumped. 

"I knew you'd realise you couldn't go through with marrying Mithian," Merlin nodded. "You should set out to find Gwen before it's too late. Life is short, and you don't want to regret -"

" _ How _ ," Arthur interrupted him, an edge of exasperation in his voice now, "did you jump from me being scared for your life to _Guinevere_?!"

"Well," Merlin said, back to surprise and confusion, "obviously, you must miss her and -"

"It's not about her!" Arthur interrupted. "It's about _you_ and you only!"

"Oh," Merlin blinked, clearly out of his depths in the face of that information. "What about me?"

Arthur stumbled on his words once again but then decided to just push through because, well. Apparently, Merlin being obtuse was a brilliant motivator. 

"You're right about one thing," he admitted. "I don't want to marry Mithian. But I don't want to marry Gwen, either."

Merlin stared at him uncomprehendingly, before replying, very slowly, as if he was a horse he might spook: "Oookay. That's okay, Arthur. You don't need to make a decision now. It's perfectly alright to sit back and take some time for yourself to -"

"I don't need time," Arthur interrupted him. "I know what I want. Or who I want, for that matter."

Merlin looked wary now. "And who might that be?" he asked, sounding as though he didn't want to know. 

Arthur just met his eyes, not saying anything for a while. Merlin was guileless, though, just staring back and raising both eyebrows - he hadn't quite mastered the art of raising just one in a stern imitation of Gaius' penetrating glower, so both lifted in the attempt and it made Arthur's lips twitch, despite himself.

Finally, Merlin snapped: "Well, am I supposed to guess?!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You really are oblivious," he muttered.

"You're one to talk," he shot back. 

"No," Arthur said, very softly. "You just tend to think I'm more ignorant than I really am." When Merlin just frowned at that, clearly not having a ready response, Arthur sighed, meeting Merlin's eyes with a more earnest expression. 

"Merlin," he began, "I realised… what I really want in the person I marry is, first and foremost, loyalty. I need to be able to trust them with all my heart, and I need to know they'll have my back no matter what. And honestly," he gulped, still staring at Merlin intently, "there's only one person here who I trust so completely."

Merlin was silent for a moment. Then, he murmured: "Gwen was loyal to you. She just -"

"Will you stop with Gwen!" Arthur sighed. "I'm talking about you, Merlin!"

At that, Merlin froze. If Arthur had thought he was just acting obtuse, he was grossly disappointed. 

"Me?" he muttered, blinking. "But… are you messing with me?"

It stung, just a little, but Arthur knew that it wasn't meant maliciously, so he forced himself not to take offence. 

"No," he insisted. "I'm serious."

"But," Merlin said, shaking his head, eyes wide. "You can't  _ marry  _ me. Not only am I your servant, but I'm also your  _ man _ servant, and -"

"Other kings have taken consorts," Arthur shrugged. "The court might not like it, but it sure won't be unprecedented." When Merlin opened his mouth again, he cut him off, continuing: "You were the one telling me to marry for love. I intend to do that, Merlin."

Merlin blinked, just staring at him incredulously as the implications of his words sank in. Then, his eyes filled with tears and he broke their locked gaze. It made Arthur's stomach drop through the floor. 

"You can't love me," Merlin whispered. "And you're surely not going to trust me once you know what I've been keeping from you."

"Oh," Arthur said, going for stern. "You mean the fact that you have magic?"

Merlin's head snapped around so fast that Arthur thought he might have twisted his neck, but he showed no signs of pain, only shock as he gaped at Arthur helplessly. 

"What did you just say?" he asked faintly. 

"I  _ know, _ Merlin," he sighed. "I've known for weeks now."

"But -" Merlin sputtered, like a fish out of water,  _ "How?!" _

"I saw you," Arthur shrugged. "One afternoon, you were lighting the fireplace with your magic and then floating the sheets onto my bed. I think you must have run out of time doing your chores."

"But -" Merlin started, looking absolutely horrified, "why didn't you ever  _ say  _ anything?!"

"I didn't know what to say, at that very moment," Arthur admitted, "so I pretended I hadn't seen, to process it."

"But -" Arthur would have rolled his eyes at Merlin's inability to start a sentence with anything but that word, but the despair was too fresh and real in his eyes. "But - aren't you furious with me?!"

"I was, at first," Arthur admitted. "The next day, I told you that you didn't need accompany me on my trip to the outer villages. That I'd need you in the castle."

"I wondered if that was a lie," Merlin frowned, blinking. "I couldn't remember having done anything, though, and when you returned, you were back to normal."

"I had lots of time to think on that trip," Arthur told him. "I felt betrayed when I left. First Gwen, then you - but then I started to remember all the tight spots I'd miraculously come out of alive, and realised it must have been you all along." Arthur smiled at Merlin. "I realised your silence wasn't a betrayal like Gwen's had been. I just hadn't given you a real opportunity to speak up. But despite that, you'd always been loyal." A beat, then he added: "I think that's what made me realise that I love you."

He wasn't sure if Merlin was breathing. He was just gaping at him, teary-eyed and shell-shocked, and Arthur couldn't help but reach out to touch his cheek gently. 

"I'm serious," he told him, soft but urgent. "I won't force you into anything you're not comfortable with, but… These are my feelings, Merlin, and I'll stop trying to fight them. I'll tell the Princess in the morning that there'll be no wedding. I'll respect your decision, but… as you advised me, I won't marry without love."

Feeling tender and daring in the face of Merlin's confusion and his recent injury, he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on Merlin's forehead. 

Then, he stood, forcefully pulling himself away and reminding himself to give Merlin some space to process this. "Sleep well," he smiled at him. "We'll talk in the morning." 

He turned towards the door, but froze at the hesitant call of his name. He looked over his shoulder, looking enquiringly at Merlin. 

"Can you stay?" Merlin asked, very softly, appearing as if he almost didn't dare ask. "Only for the night."

Arthur looked at him for a long moment, then nodded and returned to his bedside. He couldn't argue with the fact that he, too, would feel better close to Merlin, even if that meant he spent the night in a chair. 

Merlin reached for his hand and Arthur took it, squeezing in reassurance. 

When Arthur woke the next morning, his throat was parched and he had a crack in his neck. He stretched and, after realising Merlin was still asleep, went to hunt down a goblet of water.

Upon his return, Merlin was blinking his eyes open. He shared the water with Merlin and assured that he wasn't in major pain, then went to fetch Gaius and some food. 

His day got a little derailed after. He meant to just change and wash before returning to Merlin's side, but then he ran into Mithian who enquired about Merlin's health and naturally, he couldn't leave things like that, so he asked her for a private word and explained that there would be no wedding. 

She seemed disappointed but not surprised. "I had a feeling that your heart was with someone else," she admitted. "I hope for your sake that your feelings are returned and that you will find happiness. You are a good man, Arthur."

Nemeth and Camelot settled their dispute without a marriage alliance and he saw her off that very afternoon, on amicable terms. He spent the rest of the day catching his indignant council up with the events so that it wasn't until the evening that Arthur returned to Gaius' quarters to check on Merlin. 

His manservant was propped up on his pillow in a sitting position, talking to Gaius as the physician cleaned his office from a day's work. Both of them looked up when Arthur entered. 

"Sire," Gaius greeted him politely. "I'm sorry to hear about the Princess."

"Don't be," Arthur shook his head, shooting a quick glance at Merlin. His gaze was on Arthur, blue eyes intense and unreadable. "It's better that way and we did come to a mutually satisfying agreement. Nemeth and Camelot will be close partners henceforth, even without a marriage contract."

"That is good news indeed," Gaius nodded.

"How is Merlin?" Arthur asked, eyes drawn back to his friend. 

"Better," Gaius told him. He quirked his lips and added: "Bitter that he's chained to the bed for the unforeseeable future, but you know him."

"Really," Arthur rolled his eyes. "There you always beg me for a day off and now you don't appreciate it when you get them."

"Sick days aren't days off," Merlin grumbled.

"Not if you don't rest, they aren't," Gaius told him sternly. He boxed the last of his herbs before washing his hands. "Can I leave you alone with him for a while?" Gaius asked Arthur. "I promised Elyan I'll have a look at that leg wound once more before the day is done."

"Of course," Arthur said magnanimously. "I'll make sure he won't strain himself by doing anything silly."

Merlin glared at him and Arthur grinned innocently. 

"Thank you," Gaius said, grabbing his coat. "I'll only be half an hour." And with that, he was out of the door, leaving Arthur and Merlin to their own devices. 

First, Arthur was unsure of what to say. Did yesterday's events change the rules between them? Was Merlin perhaps uncomfortable around him? He'd seemed fine last night but maybe -

"So," Merlin spoke up, a frown on his face, "you really sent off Princess Mithian?"

"No use stringing her along any more than I already have," Arthur shrugged. 

"How did she take it?" Merlin asked. 

"Fairly well," Arthur replied honestly. "She didn't seem surprised. She said she'd had a feeling that I was in love with someone else."

Merlin flushed at those words, Arthur was interested to note. "Did you tell her who?" he asked. 

"No," Arthur shook his head. "I thought it best to keep that between you and me for now. Well," he added, making a face, "you, me and Gwaine, I suppose. I ended up confiding in him last night, but I'm sure he won't talk."

"Gwaine?" Merlin asked, clearly surprised. "Well, I wouldn't have expected that."

"Me neither, to be honest," Arthur shrugged sheepishly. "But he was there at the right time and he listened."

Merlin hummed but didn't say any more. Arthur watched him, heart heavy. 

"Listen," he said. "I meant it. You don't have to do anything. It was just -"

"Did you really? Mean it?" Merlin interrupted him, eyes blazing. It took Arthur's breath away. "You want to be with me? It wasn't just the adrenaline talking?"

"I'm sure," Arthur ensured him. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. I want you."

Merlin looked at him for a moment longer and then nodded. "Okay," he nodded. 

"Okay?" Arthur repeated, unable to believe his ears. "Is that you… accepting?"

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you need to yet make the official proposal," Merlin shrugged, half-sheepish, half-shy. "I'm not going to settle for anything less than a romantic gesture of my own - and no, no servant may help you this time, Arthur. I won't light a hundred candles for my own proposal and neither will any other staff!"

"Alright," Arthur agreed, smiling. "I'll do it all myself. Apart from any cooking that might be involved, for both our safety."

Merlin laughed and nodded. "Fair enough," he grinned. "You may go ahead in courting me then."

"How gracious of you," Arthur snorted, but he was grinning back, feeling completely elated for the first time since Gwen had left him. He stepped closer to Merlin's bed, marvelling at the quality of Merlin's smile and the open adoration in his eyes. There had always been fondness there, of course, but not like this; it was as if Merlin had stopped keeping a check on his emotions and had allowed them to spread out into his expression for Arthur to study in their entirety, and Arthur felt humbled in the face of it. He came to a halt at Merlin's bedside and reached out to touch his cheek, drawing a gentle thumb over his cheek. 

"May I kiss you?" he breathed. 

Merlin's breath stuttered and then he nodded, deep blue eyes never leaving Arthur's. 

The kiss was unlike any kiss he'd ever experienced. There had been some that mattered little and some that mattered more, the most outstanding of those, naturally, being every kiss he'd shared with Guinevere. 

Kissing Guinevere had been elation each time it happened, a rush of adrenaline. He'd never gotten used to it and until the very end, she had always made his nerves feel on fire, in the good sense and in the bad.

Kissing Merlin felt like coming home. He couldn't think of another way to describe it; there was no adrenaline akin to fighting a battle, just warmth and a sense of safety and happiness so overwhelming that Arthur didn't quite know what to do with it. Merlin's lips were slightly chapped but soft. He smelled familiar and he had to push down onto the urge to climb into bed with him and hold him close, to feel his skin until they forgot where one person began and the other ended. 

When they came up for air, Merlin was flushed and wide-eyed and he stared up at Arthur rather helplessly. Arthur smiled, tracing his kiss-swollen lips with his little finger.

"You can expect a proper proposal as soon as you're back on your feet," Arthur told him.

"Oh," Merlin returned, rather weakly. 

Arthur smiled and leaned in, savouring the momentary speechlessness of his friend and soon-to-be consort. Merlin kissed him back eagerly, telling Arthur more about his feelings than he ever could have with words.

**Epilogue:**

Merlin still felt uncomfortable in court-approved attire. He always thought he looked like a fraught in the fine garments Arthur'd had made for him, even after weeks of wearing them, but Arthur had insisted, and Merlin had quickly realised that it was easier to pick his battles. 

Besides, he doubted anyone would appreciate one of the grooms turning up at the altar in peasant wear at the royal wedding, no matter how much of a peasant the King's consort actually was. "It's all about ceremony," Gwen had told him with a smile. "People will overlook where you come from if you look the part."

Gwen had taken up a role amongst Merlin's personal staff (How he had _staff_ now, he would never wrap his mind around) after he had convinced Arthur to lift her ban. She had been a big help in unwrapping the plot around Agravaine's betrayal and the personal risk she had taken upon herself to warn them combined with Merlin's faith in her caused Arthur to reconsider. 

Merlin never knew what had been discussed in the hour they had sat down to talk things over. Both were tight-lipped about it, but in the end, they had come out of it on amicable terms. 

Merlin himself had felt guilt towards Gwen for a long time. After all, he was marrying her former betrothed, and last time he'd checked, friends didn't do that. But Gwen never seemed to look at it that way. 

"It was  _ me _ who betrayed Arthur," she reminded Merlin. "It would be unfair to expect him to wait around for me. I want him to be happy. And I want  _ you  _ to be happy, too. And if you make each other happy… well, that's just perfect, isn't it?"

Merlin suspected that she wasn't as okay as she pretended to be. He'd noticed that she'd started wearing a pendant he didn't recognise, and when he'd asked her about it, he'd learned that Lancelot had once given it to her. She never talked about her grief, though, and he didn't dare prod.

All in all, though, Gwen was buzzing along with the rest of the castle, energetically preparing the wedding, all while Merlin didn't know whether to feel excited or sick.

Arthur had kept his word, proposing to Merlin almost as soon as the other was back to full health. He'd taken Merlin out for the day and they had ridden out to a riverbank for a quiet meal together. Merlin had appreciated both the change of scenery and the solitude - things had still been new and sometimes awkward between them, especially seeing that their interactions had been confined to Gaius' office up until that point, which hadn't been exactly private. Out there, with only woodland creatures as witnesses, they explored their new dynamic to the fullest, talking and kissing, touching in chaste ways because Arthur refused to bed him unmarried. 

Merlin had not expected a proposal that very same day. The afternoon had already been perfect as it was. But upon their return to Camelot at dawn, the steps of the Citadel had been laid out with candles, making Merlin freeze at the sight. 

His first thought had been to berate Arthur for making some servant light all those candles, even though he'd said he would do it himself. But then, Arthur had stepped up to him, falling onto one knee in front of him, and all coherent thought had left his mind.

Merlin fumbled with the ring on his finger as he looked at himself in the mirror, making a face. 

"Oh, Merlin," Gwen sighed, exasperation and fondness in her voice. "You look gorgeous! Stop working yourself up!"

"He'll take one look at me and realise he's made a mistake!" Merlin moaned. "It wouldn't be the first time he'd throw a wedding and we both know it."

"This is different," Gwen insisted. "He's fully aware of how lucky he is to have you! He loves you with all his heart! He'll drag you to the altar by your ears if he has to." She flushed, then she spluttered: "I mean, not that you have large ears! Not large enough to drag you! I mean, he could drag you if he wanted to, of course, but it's just a saying, and -"

"Gwen," he laughed, already feeling better in the face of her babbling. "Shut up."

She grinned sheepishly and did. 

When it was finally time for the ceremony, Merlin was a bundle of nerves. By some miracle, though, he managed not to fall flat on his face on the way to the altar, despite all of Camelot's eyes on him, or at least so it felt like to Merlin. He did his best to focus only on those that mattered, though, and Arthur's bright blue ones were indeed outshining everything else, leading Merlin exactly where he needed to be. 

To him.

Merlin didn't listen to most of what the Lord Chamberlain said. His mind was on Arthur, and Arthur only, and Arthur smiled at him and quirked an eyebrow, obviously knowing exactly what Merlin was doing. 

Merlin jerked as the exchange of rings began, drawing him from his thoughts, and a chuckle escaped Arthur before he clasped his hand. He drew a gentle thumb over Merlin's, a private gesture of affection before he procured a wedding band that he tenderly pushed up the ring finger of Merlin's left hand. Unlike the engagement ring, it wasn't shiny and new, freshly forged for the occasion; it was well worn and Merlin had seen it many times on Arthur's hand before. It was an heirloom from Ygraine's side of the family, Merlin knew. The knowledge made his throat close up as he listened to Artur repeat the vows the Lord Chamberlain presented to him. Then, it was Merlin's turn. He pulled out the ring that he had prepared for Arthur - not an heirloom, but he had forged and designed it with his own magic and he hoped Arthur would like it all the same. From the sparkle in Arthur's eyes, he thought that he might.

Finally, they were declared lawfully wedded husbands in front of the whole court and Arthur wasted no time to pull Merlin into an all-consuming kiss, making Merlin forget, just for a tiny moment, that the entire room was full of people watching them. Quite without his input, Merlin felt his magic rush out of him, engulfing and uniting them in a way that had nothing to do with their mortal vows. Arthur's eyes were wide as they pulled apart, and Merlin knew that he, too, could feel it.

"What did you do?" he whispered.

"Nothing!" Merlin promised. "It was - it happened by itself!"

Arthur gave him a deeply dubious but also amused look as he stepped back. He did not push the matter, though, as he turned to face their guests, gently pulling Merlin with him.

First, he saw his mother, who was wiping at her damp cheeks but was also beaming up at him. Gaius' expression was both fond and disapproving, as if he knew as well as Merlin and Arthur what had just transpired between them. Gwen's eyes, too, were glistening, and Merlin was unsure if it was from sadness or happiness. Maybe it was a mix of both. 

There was a raucous shout of "Long live the consort!", and a cursory glance gave away that it had come from Gwaine. The other knights backed him up, grinning, and soon, the whole hall joined in. Merlin felt himself flush and Arthur smirked at him. 

"You will have to get used to the attention, you know," Arthur told him, leaning closer to be heard over the noise. "There's no escaping it now."

Merlin threw back a long-suffering look, but his expression softened at the sheer joy radiating from Arthur. 

"I'll learn to deal," he shrugged. "You'll just have to spoil me to make up for it."

"Oh," Arthur grinned, reconnecting their lips for another gentle kiss, "don't worry. I have every intention of doing that. You won't know what hit you, Merlin."

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to, please follow me on Twitter @TheHuffleLife :) Feel also free to leave me a message if you want to chat. Other than that, I'd love to hear your feedback on this story if you have time for a comment!


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